Following the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s claim that it froze the Osun State Government’s account over an alleged ₦11 billion loot, the state government has rejected the claim, saying it was intended to justify the Commission’s action.
The Osun State Government described the claim as a failed attempt to cover up an illegal action with an unfounded allegation.
In a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, on Thursday, the government claimed that “the real reason the Commission froze the state account on the order of Gboyega Oyetola was to stop the payment of palliatives which the state government promised workers some months ago.”
“This account freezing marks the climax of Oyetola/Ambo’s historic anti-workers’ obsession. Fortunately, we have paid the palliatives to all Osun State workers,” the statement said.
Alimi noted that the latest payment of the palliatives followed negotiations arising from workers’ request for measures to cushion the effects of the harsh economic climate. He stressed that this was not the first time such a cost-of-living subsidy had been paid to Osun workers.
He alleged that the Commission was pursuing a hatchet job on behalf of the Osun APC by illegally freezing the state account and falsely accusing the government of looting ecological and other state funds.
“We don’t loot public funds in Osun State; we deliver on public goods and services. There is no fund to loot in Osun State as the little resources we have are expended on the many mega projects, workers welfare, and sectoral developments for the benefit of the masses,” the government said.
The government also rejected what it described as attempts to tarnish the image of “our hardworking governor.”
Alimi further accused the EFCC of conducting what he described as a witch-hunt since March 2026 without producing any evidence implicating top government officials. He alleged that government officials had been harassed on a weekly basis with the sole aim of distracting them from delivering good governance to the people of Osun State.
The Commissioner stated that Osun had won several awards for budgetary and audit transparency. He argued that, assuming without conceding that the EFCC had any evidence of looting, there were established legal procedures for bringing suspects to justice instead of what he described as a politically motivated and unlawful freezing of government accounts without due process.
He also expressed concern that the Commission would “lie to destroy the image of a state to cover up an illegal action that has backfired.”
“This alibi from the Commission is an afterthought, and it cannot stand the test of truth in reality and court of public opinion,” the statement added.
